This Week in National Press Club History

Nov. 22, 1932: President-elect Franklin Delano Roosevelt is the first VIP formally invited to address the National Press Club at dinner. The event is so well received that the Club decides to hold formal luncheons in the auditorium, which leads to the formation of the Speaker's program and the Club becoming a national forum.

Nov. 22, 1957: The first NPC President's Ball features entertainment by comedian Sam Levinson, Eddy Arnold, Les Paul and Mary Ford.

Nov. 23, 1909: Commander Robert E. Peary, USN, claims at the Club he is the first to reach the North Pole.

This Week in National Press Club History is brought to you by the History Committee, which is dedicated to preserving, and revitalizing the Club’s history through displays, panel discussions and lectures, as well as interviewing members as part of the Club’s long-standing oral history project.

The History Committee's December meeting is at noon, Wednesday, Dec. 9. For more information on upcoming History Committee-sponsored events, or to join the History Committee, contact Marc Wojno at [email protected].